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' April zs,'1927. 1,626,377

J. C. A. ANDERSON sns-vmon cou'mor. SYSTEM Filed March 19, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 emT April J. (I. I\. I\PJE)EJQESCJPQ ELEVATOR cofiTRoL, SYSTEM Filed March 19. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1,626, 1 1927' J. c. A. ANDERSON 3 7 ELEVATOR CONTROL SYSTEM Filed March 19. 1 25- 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 26, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

JOHN C. A. ANDERSON, F \VILMETTE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO RELIANCE ELEVATOR (10., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELEVATOR-CONTROL SYSTEM.

Application filed March 19, 1925.

My invention relates to elevators and more particularly to a system for controlling the operation of elevators.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide means for controlling the operation of elevators comprising push button controlling devices and means associated with said devices to indicate the position of the elevator car to the operator of the push button switch device. The push button switch devices preferal'ily comprise a pair of push buttons, one of which, while depressed, closes a circuit whereby the elevator car is caused to move upwardly and the other of which when depressed closes the circuit which causes the elevator car to move downwardly. The controlling device preferably comprises a pair of said push buttons at each floor level or landing and an indicator operated by the 0-movemcnt of the car associated therewith to indicate-the exact position of the car relative to the various floor levels or landings provided within the range of movement of the elevator. Said indicating means pref- 26 erably comprises a pointer that moves along a dial to indicate the landings along the travel of the elevator car.

In push button controlled elevators of the type referred to above, in order to provide 30 safety of operation of the elevator, the doors and the controlling devices are so interlocked that a ny door can only be opened when the car is at the floor level or landing at which the door is located and so that the elevator car cannot be operated unless all the doors at all the landings or floor levels are closed. As the indicating device is intended to make it possible to operate the elevator so as to move the same to a iioor level different from that at which the operator of the push button device is located, or to move the same from a floor level different from that at which the operator of the push button device is located, it would obviously be impossible to move the car if someone had pre viously moved the same to a floor level, opened the door at said floor level and left the car with the door open. This would cause the circuits to remain open controlling the operation of the car both in an upward and a downward direction and would make it impossible to move the car by depressing the button at a remote floor level while the door remains open.

Serial No. 16,709.

It is accordingly, a purpose of the invention to provide signal means to draw the attention of the person at the floor level at which the car is located and at which the door has been left open to the fact/that someone at another floor level desires to move the car and cannot move the same because the door is open. Said signal means preferably comprises a bell or other audible sig nal carried by the elevator car which is actuated upon depressing either of the two push buttons forming a part of any one of the push button devices. Said push buttons are preferably provided with an auxiliary contact for completing the signal circuit when the operating circuit is open, said circuit being completed by means of a relay when said push button is depressed and the controlling circuit is open.

It is another purpose of the invention to provide means for adjusting the floor indicating means or other landing indicating means on a dial so that the indicator pointer member will correctly indicate the floor levoperated by the movement of the car and means is provided whereby the movement of the indicator or pointer is directly .proportional to the movement of the car at all times.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description of-the accompanying drawin proceeds. However, I desire to have it distinctly understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the exact details shown or described, but that I intend to include as part of my invention all such obvious changes and modifications of parts as would occur to a person skilled in this art and as would fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section of a portion of a building showing an elevator shaft with the elevator and the controlling means therefor;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the indicator operating means employed in connection with my improved control device;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the elevator shaft or hatehway showin my improved push button control device in position adjacent the hatchway at a landing or floor level-j Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevational view 6 of one of the push button control devices;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showingt-he circuit connections employed in connection with my improved control system; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on 10 line 66 of Fig. 4.

16 big mechanism 12 having the '20 wound a plurality of times around a drum 18 and then passes downwardly so as to hang in a loop in the hatchway, the opposite end thereof being also secured to the elevator car at 19. A pulley 20 is free to roll on the cable 17 and is provided with a weight 21 secured thereto so that the cable will ordinarily take a position similar to that shown in Fig. 1- with the pulley 20 at the lowermost point thereof due to the provision of the weight 21. Thus, the cable 17 will always be held nnder'tensionby means of the weight 21, the tension therein being due to the'weight 21 rather than due to any movement of the elevator car-10, -'t.he movement of the car merely causing a change in position of the wei ht21 relative to the car 'wit-hout'changing the position of the weight 21 relative to the drum 18. Thus, the 'change of position of the car 10 will have no effect on the length of the cable. As the distance betweenthe drum 18 and the pulley '20 will always be the same,'the amount of rotation of the pulley 18 will be directly pro ortional to the movement of the car '10.

T e drum 18 is connected through the reduction gear 22 with a shaft23-ca-rrying the pulley24 to which one end of the flexible metallic band .25 is secured. Said band 25 is suspended within the hatchway and is provided with a weight 26 to hold the same taut at all times. A plurality of similar metallic band' members 27 are secured to the member 25 at fixed points by means of the securing members 28 which may be in the form of clamps or any other desired securing means. The flexible band members 27 run over pulleys 29 making preferably a complete turn therearound as indicated at 30.

The pulleys 29 are mounted on shafts 31 so as to rotate therewith and said shafts 31 have the indicator membersor pointers 32 mounted thereon so as to rotatetherewith. The pointers or indicator members 32 are each associated with a push button control device 33, each of which is provided with a push button 34 controlling the upward movement of the car and a push button 35 controlling the downward movement thereof. The pointer 32 cooperates with a dial provided with the indicator members 36 which indicate the floor levels or landings at which the car is adapted to stop. Preferably, the indicator members 36 are adjustably mounted on the dial, a slot 37 being providedfor sliding the same along to the proper position for the same, suitable clamping means 38 being provided for bolding the indicator members 36 in adjusted position. Said indicator members are preferably provided with tapered projeciions 39 adjacent the path of the tapered ends of the pointer 32 so as to aid in aligning the pointer 32 exactly with the tapered end of the projection 39 of an indicating member 36 to align the elevator car properly with the floor level or landing at which it is desired to stop the same. The members 36 are, of course, adjustable so that when the pointed end of the pointer is in exactalignment with thc pointed end of-the projection 39 on a given member 36, the car will be substantially level with the floor that the member 36 indicates.

It will accordingly be seen that the elevator car can be moved from any desired floor to any desired floor by means of any one of the push button control devices whether located at either of the floor levels referred to above or not, as the operator can determine the exact position of the car while controlling the operation of the same by means of the push buttons. The push button control devices are of the well known type wherein the button must be continually depressed to cause the car to move in a desired direction. Thus, if the up button is depressed, the car will move upwardly as long as the depression of the button continues. However, as soon as the button is released, the circuit is broken and the car stops. The same thing applies in connection with the down button.

The control means for the elevator car is ordinarily interlocked with the doors at the various floor levels or landings by means of which the hatchway can be entered so that the elevator car will not operate when any one of the doors is left open and so that the doors cannot be opened except when the car is at the floor level of the door that is desired to be opened, this being a customary arrangement in order to prevent accidents by moving a car from a floor level while the same is in use or while the same is being loaded or unloaded and also to prevent any one from walking into the hatchway when the car is not at the floor level at which the person attempting to enter the hatchway is located. Due to the provision of theme-ans preventing operation of the car when the door is open, it would be obviously impos sible to move the car from a floor level at which the car is stationed if the door a t said floor level is open. This acts as a safety device when the car is actually being used at the floor level and is being loaded or um loaded at said floor lQYCl.

However, frequently doors are either incompletely closed or not closed at all due to carelessness of persons operating the car after said persons have finished using the same. In order to call the attention oi? some one near the car to the fact that such a condition exists, signal means is provided which operate when a push button is operated for the purpose of moving the car and the door is in open position, said signal means being located on the car and being prel'erahlr a hell or other audible signal.

The operation of the signal means will he more clearly understood by reference to Fig. 5 in which the circuit connections necessary for the operation of the signal are shown. In said figure the switch board 40 is shown as being provided with a positive terminal 41 and a negative terminal 42, the positive terminal 41 being connecteddiy means of the conductor 43 with the conductors 4.4 and 45 at each of the landings or floor levels which leads to the contacts 46 and 47 associated respectn'ely with the push buttons 34 and 35. Said push buttons are provided respectively with the bridging members or movable contact members 4'18 and 49 which ar adapted to bridge respectively the contacts 50, 51, and 416, and the contacts 52, 53. and 47. The contacts 50 are all connected by means of the conductor :74- and the contacts 52 are all connected with the conductor 55, while the central contacts- 51 and 53 are all connected with a common conductor Thus it will be seen that every time a hutton 34 or 35 is depressed, the movable. contact member associated with said button will make three contacts, the purpose of which will be explained below.

Leading from the negative terminal 42 is a conductor 57 which has the door operated switching members 58 interposed therein, said conductor 57 leading to the emergency switch 59 provided on the ear lltjfrom which the conductor tit) leads to a terminal (it provided on the switchbmird 10. From said terminal 61 a conductor (32 leads to the stationary contact 63 of a relay (31' having the movable contact ($5 with which the romluctor (i6 is connected which is connected with both the conductors and through the controller coils (i7 and (58 respectively, said controller coils being respectively coils controlling up and down moven'ientof the elevator car 10. The elevator car is further provided with a push button switching device similar to those located at the various floor 35 is provided with the contacts 52' and 47. The conductor 54 is connected with the contact 50, the conductor 55 is connected with the contact 52 by means of the conductor 55 and the conductor 43 is connected with the contacts 46 and 47 by means of the conductor 43.

It will be evident that if a button 34 is depressed or the button 34' is depressed, the current will flow from the terminal 41 through the conductor 43 and through the movable contact of the push button member 34 or 34 to the conductor 54 through the coil 67 and to the terminal 61 from said terminal 61 through the conductor to. the emergency switch 59, then through the conductor 57 and through all the door switches 58 to the negative terminal 42, thus energizing the coil 67 to cause the controller mechanism to move the car in an upward direction.

In a similar manner, if aubutton 35 or the button 35 is depremed, the positive terminal 41 will be connected with the negative. terminal 42 through the conductors 43, the push buttons 35 and 35, the conductor 55, the coil 68, the conductor 60, the emergency switch 59, the conductor 57 and the door switches 58 to the negative terminal 42,' thus energizing the coil 68 onthe controlling device causing said controlling device-to mov the car in a downward direction.

The signal means for calling the attention of persons adjacent the car 10 to the fact that one of the switches 58 is open due to the door being open at the level at which the car is located comprises the electric bell -or other audible signal means 69. The conductors 70 and 71 lead from said signal means 69 to the contacts 72 and 73. The-contact 72 is stationary and the contact-'73 is movably mounted forming part of the movable means of the relay 64. The relay 64 is provided with a. winding 74 which is connected between the negative terminal 42'and the terminal 61 on the switchboard 40. Any suitable means for supplying current to the signal devices 69 may be interposed in one of the conductors 70 or 71, a. battery 75 being shown in Fig. 5 although it is evident that a door bell transformer or similar device may be substituted for the battery. The conductor 56 is also connected with a terminal 61 through the resistance 76, as will be evident from Fig. 5.

The resistance of the winding 74- is such that when the circuit through the door operated contact or switching members 58 is closed by depression of any one of the buttons 34, 34., 35, or the winding 74 will be short circuited, the current passing through the coil 67 or 68, as the case may be, which is of relatively low resistance. At the same time that either a button 34 or is depressed, a connection is made between the conductor 56 and the'conductor 43, thus connecting the terminal' ('31 with the positive terminal 41 through the conductor 56 and the resistance 76. It the circuit inwhich either the coil (37 or 68 is located is open due to the fact that any one of the door operated switches 58 or the energizing switch 59 :is .left open, the current from the positive terminal 41 will flow through the conductor 43 through the push button contacts and througlrthe conductor 56 to the terminal 61 andzthen through the winding 74 of the re lay 64 causing the movable contact mendier of'therelay to move upwardly.

It .will be evident that at this time, the winding .74 is not short. circuited because the circuit in which either the coil 67 or (it; is-located is open. The movement of the movable contact member of the relay (i=l 'willcausethe contact- '73'to engage the contact 72 and simultaneously cause the contact '65 .to leave the contact 63, thus preventing the energizing of 'the coils GT and (38 by a flow of current through the same without passing through the conductors- 57 and (m .in which the safety s\\-'itcliiug devices are located. \Vhen the contacts and 7;, are inengagement, the circuit of the signal 611 is closed causing the same to be actuated and calling attention to the fact that one of the-doorscontrolling the switches 58 or emergency switch has been left open. -Upon closure of the door, the signal will cease to operate due to-the short eircuiting .ofthe winding 74 of the relay and the car willbegin its movementdue to-euergization of the proper coil ('37 or (38, as the case may be.-

:Having thus described my invention what. Ll; desire-to claim and secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of thecharacter described an elevator car, and means for controlling the operation of said car con'iprising a man- -uallyniovable-device-which when in one position causes said car to-move and inanother position causes it to stop and means indicating the position of said car at all-times relative to said device mounted adjacent said device in view of the operator thereof.

In a device of the character described an elevator car,and means for controlling the operation of said car comprising a manually movable device which when in one position causes said car to move and in another position causes itto-stop, comprising switchin means-controlling the upward movement of said car, and switching means controlling the downward movement of said car, and means indicating the position of said car at all times relative to said device mounted adjacent said device in view of the operator thereof.

3. In a device of the chaiacterdescribed an clcvatm car, and means for controlling the operation of said car comprising a-inanua' lly movable device which when in one position causes said car to move and in another position causes it to stop and means-operated by the movement of said our to indicatethe position of said car at all times'relativetosaid device mounted adjacent said device in view of the operator thereof.

4. In a device of the character-described, an elevator car, -and.means for controlling the operation of said car comprising a manually movable device which when in one posillfln causes said car to move and in another position causes it to stop at-eachfioor level. and means at each floor .level indicating the .position of said car, mounted adjacent each of said manually movable devlccs.

n a device of the characterdescribed an elevator ear, and means for controlling the operation of said car comprising a manually movable device which when in-one position causes said canto move and-in another position causes it to stop and means. mechanically connected withsaidcar for indicating the position of said-car mounted adjacent said device, said indicating means-comprising a movable pointer and a dial having adjustable floor level indicating means thereon.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of February, A. D.

JOHN C. A. ANDERSON. 

